Producing CuO and ZnO composite thin films using the spin coating method on microscope glasses

In this work, we have presented a new route to produce pure ZnO and composite ZnO-CuO thin films. In the process we have started with pure ZnO thin films and ended up with CuO by doping Cu in various percentages, ranging from 0% to 100%. We have managed to attain crystal phases in all doping concentrations. All the produced thin films have been crystallized at the annealing temperatures of 600 and 700 °C for 6 h. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra have been performed to see the formation of crystal phases of all pure ZnO and composite ZnO-CuO thin films. These give insight that the two crystal phases related to ZnO and CuO stayed together within the thin film matrices, which were produced in different doping concentrations, i.e. nZnO + mCuO (0 ≤ n, m ≤ 100%). The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs and UV–vis absorption spectra have also been taken to elucidate the structure and composition of the all films.     

Growth and properties of lead iodide thin films by spin coating

In this study, lead iodide (PbI₂) thin films were deposited on glass substrates by spin coating a solution of 0.2 M PbI₂ dissolved in dimethylformamide, varying the deposition time and the spin speed. The thickness of the thin films decreased with increase in spin speed and deposition time, as examined by profilometry measurements. The structure, morphology, optical and electrical properties of the thin films were analysed using various techniques. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the thin films possessed hexagonal structures. The thin films were grown highly oriented to [001] direction of the hexagonal lattice. Raman peaks detected at 96 and 136 cm^?1 were corresponding to the characteristic vibration modes of PbI₂. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy detected the presence of Pb and I with core level binding energies corresponding to that in PbI₂. Atomic force microcopy showed smooth and compact morphology of the thin films. From UV–Vis transmittance and reflectance spectral analysis, the bandgap of the thin films ～2.3 eV was evaluated. The dark conductivity of the thin films was computed and the value decreased as the deposition time and spin speed increased.     

Magnetic properties and kinetic roughening study of prepared polyaniline: lead ferrite,cobalt ferrite and nickel ferrite nanocomposites electrodeposited thin films

The purpose of this study is preparation of polyaniline–lead ferrite, polyaniline–cobalt ferrite and polyaniline/nickel ferrite thin layers. The electromagnetic pollution is a serious problem in the world that can be solved by electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. The EMI layers can be synthesized by conductive layer composed by magnetic particles. Crystallite size of samples was studied by (XRD) analyze via Debye–Scherrer and Williamson–Hall equations. The X-ray diffraction XRD patterns confirm the crystalline structure of the samples. The surface morphology of the composite layers was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the effect of thickness and different composed particles was investigated. The percentage of the constituents and purity of samples was studied by energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) analysis. Also, surface roughness and kinetic roughening of thin films was investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Hysteresis loop of the magnetic samples were analyzed by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). These new easy prepared nanocomposites introduce a suitable and effective coating for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding.

     

Optical and structural properties of NiMgO thin films formed by sol-gel spin coating

Ni_1−xMg_xO thin films across the full compositional range were formed by a low-cost sol-gel spin coating method. Optical transmission of the resultant films in the ultraviolet-visible spectral region increased to as high as 90% upon sintering, and X-ray diffraction verified an increase in crystallinity for sintering temperatures up to 1000 °C, with root mean square roughness below 1 nm when sintered between 600 and 800 °C. The lattice parameter of the rock salt Ni_1−xMg_xO films showed a linear shift with increased magnesium concentration, consistent with a Vegard's Law relationship between the two binaries. Optical energy gaps from 3.6 to > 6.5 eV were realized by adjusting the composition of the Ni_1−xMg_xO films, demonstrating the suitability of the ternary for optical devices in the UV-C spectral region.     

Phase identification of cobalt ferrite/metal composite thin films using convergent beam electron diffraction

Cobalt ferrite/metal composite thin films with a saturation magnetization (Ms) of 0.729 Weber m-2 were prepared by a reactive sputtering method. The Ms of the thin films increased with increasing substrate temperature. The microstructures of the thin films were identified by a convergent beam electron diffraction method. For the thin films deposited at high substrate temperatures (>300 °C), CoxFe1-x (x0.62) metal alloys were separated from the cobalt ferrite matrix. A cobalt ferrite phase was determined as CoFe2O4 with a cubic structure (a0=0.839 nm) and a space group of Fd3m, while a metal phase CoxFe1-x (x0.62) with a b.c.c. structure (a0=0.289 nm) and a space group of Im3m. © 1998 Kluwer Academic Publishers     

Morphology control of barium ferrite thin films

Hexagonal barium ferrite thin films were fabricated by spin coating of precursors obtained by sol-gel methods onto sapphire (00l) faces. Citric acid and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) were used to tune the morphology of the films. The films show texture with c-axis normal to the film plane as shown by the strong x-ray diffractions from the (001) plane with full width at half maximum of the rocking curves about 0.4°. The [100] direction of the film is parallel to the [110] direction of the sapphire. With the increase of the citric acid, the percentage of the acicular crystallites increased. EDTA can be used to produce films with the best texture where faceted grains were obtained. The maximum coercive force obtained was about 302 kA/m.     

Effects of substrate temperature on the magnetic and electrical properties of cobalt ferrite/metal composite thin films

The magnetic and electrical properties of the cobalt ferrite/metal composite thin films, prepared by reactive sputtering, were studied as a function of substrate temperature. With increasing substrate temperature, the saturation magnetization of the thin films increased owing to precipitation of the Co_0.67Fe_0.33 phase. Also, the electrical resistivity of the thin films decreased. From Hall experiments, the decrease of electrical resistivity of the composite thin films was mainly attributed to the increase of electron concentration. The Seebeck coefficient measurement shows that the electrical conduction mechanism of the thin films containing 37.8 and 33.7 at % Co changes from p-type to n-type and that of the thin films containing 28.5 at % Co remains n-type with increasing substrate temperature. This might be attributed to the change in composition of the cobalt ferrite matrix to Fe-excess with precipitation of Co-rich Fe alloy. ©1999 Kluwer Academic Publishers     

Synthesis and characterization of thin Ba-M hexagonal ferrite films

It is demonstrated that Ba-M hexagonal ferrite films with a thickness of ～100 nm and the properties required for the data recording at a superhigh density can be synthesized on an amorphous substrate. The films are obtained on SiO₂/Si substrates by magnetron sputtering of a Ba-M ferrite ceramic target in a gas mixture of Ar and O₂ taken at the partial pressures of 3.5 and 0.5 mTorr, respectively. In order to obtain the required crystal and magnetic structure, the films were annealed for 1 h at 700, 800, or 900°C. The experimental data show that the annealing at 800°C leads to crystallization of the amorphous deposit into a hexagonal ferrite of the Ba-M type.     

Pulsed laser deposition of Mn-Zn ferrite thin films

Mn-Zn ferrite thin films were deposited on sapphire substrates by pulsed laser deposition from sintered Mn_{1 – x}Zn _x Fe₂O₄ ceramic targets. A full stoichiometric transfer from targets to substrates was achieved. Magnetic inplane measurements in two perpendicular directions were carried out and the macromagnetic properties of films were determined. The hysteresis loops obtained are rectangular and the values of the coercive force, the saturation, and the remanent magnetization are comparable to the same parameters of the bulk Mn-Zn ferrite. The films were characterized using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).     

Structural,luminescence and magnetic properties of Mn doped ZnO thin films using spin coating technique

Manganese doped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were synthesized for various wt% doping of Mn using sol–gel spin coating technique. The effects of Mn doping on the structural, morphological, compositional, photoluminescence (PL) and magnetic behaviour of ZnO thin films were investigated. Although, Mn doping did not change the lattice constants of the films, the texture coefficient is found to be improved for the films having higher percentage of Mn doping. PL studies reveal that as doping concentration of Mn increases, the intensity of emission peaks corresponding to violet and blue colour increases and the peak position shifts slightly. The saturated magnetic moments are found to decrease with the increase in Mn doping and the reason for such behavior is discussed.     

Grain growth in nanocrystalline yttrium-stabilized zirconia thin films synthesized by spin coating of polymeric precursors

This article reports results of experimental studies on the microstructural evolution of nanocrystalline yttrium-stabilized zirconia thin films synthesized on a Si substrate via a polymeric precursor spin-coating approach. Grain growth behavior has been investigated at different annealing temperatures (700-1200 degrees C) for periods of up to 240 h. A similar film thickness (approximately 120 nm) was maintained for all of the samples used in this study, to avoid variation in film thickness-dependent grain growth. The effects of the thermal history of the film and the annealing atmosphere on the grain growth were also studied. A simple semiempirical grain growth model has been developed to describe isothermal annealing data and to predict dynamic grain growth behavior during the sintering of polymeric precursor layers to form cubic-phase nanocrystalline yttrium-stabilized zirconia films.     

Magnetic properties of cobalt rare-earth thin films

This paper describes the magnetic properties of dc sputtered thin films of Co-Gd and Co-Sm in various compositions. Magnetic moment density, hysteresis loop coercivity and squareness, and rotational hysteresis loss measurements are reported. Crystallite and domain sizes were observed with an electron microscope for a few compositions. A tentative model of magnetization reversal is proposed for some of the compositions.     

The magneto-optical properties of thin cobalt films

Experimentally measured magneto-optical properties of magnetic materials are usually analysed using a phenomenological approach in which the permittivity is considered as a skew-symmetric tensor. Measurements of the real and imaginary parts of both the optical and the magneto-optical elements of this sensor in the region 1.0–2.5 eV are presented for a series of seven thin (108-13.4 nm) cobalt films. The prominent features of the results are remarkably consistent from film to film.     

Structural properties of cobalt ferrite thin films deposited by pulsed laser deposition: Effect of the reactive atmosphere

Cobalt ferrite thin films have been elaborated by pulsed laser ablation of a CoFe₂ metallic target on Si (100) substrates. The films were deposited at low temperature (300 °C) in various pressures of two different reactive atmospheres (O₂/N₂, 20:80 and O₂). We present the influence of the nature of the reactive gas and of the deposition pressure on the crystallisation. It has been shown that a strong (111) preferential orientation is obtained for intermediate pressures of the O₂/N₂ reactive gas. The degree of orientation is higher for the O₂/N₂ mixture than for pure O₂. This behaviour is explained in terms of kinetic energy of the deposited species.     

Effects of deposition temperature on phase purity, orientation, microstructure and property of cobalt substituted bismuth ferrite thin films

Multiferroic BiFe_0.95Co_0.05O₃ thin films were fabricated on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates at various temperatures by pulsed laser deposition. It was found the deposition temperature had great effects on phase purity, orientation, microstructure and multiferroic properties of these films. The optimized deposition temperature was close to 600?°C. Polarization–electric field (P–E) and magnetization–magnetic field (M–H) hysteresis loops at room temperature were observed simultaneously in the films fabricated at 600?°C. The remnant polarization, coercive electric field (P _r , E _c ) and the remnant magnetization, coercive magnetic field (M _r , H _c ) of the films deposited at 600?°C were (0.95?μC/cm², 31?kV/cm) and (0.59?emu/cm³, 130 Oe), respectively. These results might have implications for further investigations on high quality BiFe_0.95Co_0.05O₃ multiferroic films.